Movies I'm gonna see soon....

Out now and on my short list:

“Dear Zachary”
“Synecdoche, New York”
“W.”
“Appaloosa”
“Religulous”
“A Secret”

Coming soon to a theater near me…

I’m very excited about “A Christmas Tale.” I’ve seen the preview twice, and both times it passed the, “yeah, I’d see it,” test. And I just broke my no-reviews rule by reading a review in the Times’ holiday movies section. It’s got a very interesting director who apparently makes a lot of references to other movies in his films…including a nod to the opening scene of Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander,” which, according to the reviewer “…opens with one of the most famous Christmas gatherings in movies.” (Guess I’ve got to see “Fanny and Alexander” now.) At any rate, while it borrows an often predictable and tired theme--dysfunctional family together again for the holidays—it sounds like a fresh take. There’s a sibling theme (isn’t there always, with me?), death (ditto) and, in an apparently NEW theme for moi, it’s French. I’m in. Opens November 14th.

“Nothing Like the Holidays.” Another family holiday movie that sounds like it’s got some heft to it. Plus it stars Freddy Rodriguez, as a veteran of the Iraqi war. You might remember him from the HBO series “Six Feet Under.” (He played Rico, the only non-family mortician in the business.) Also starring Alfred Molina, John Leguizamo and Debra Messing. Sounds promising. Opens December 12th.

“The Day the Earth Stood Still.” This isn’t a definite for me. I’m not a huge Keanu Reeves fan. But I liked the original and it might be fun to see what they do with it. Also featuring Jennifer Connelly of “A Beautiful Mind.”
Opens December 12th.

“Che.” Starring Benicio Del Toro. Steven Soderbergh. Enough said. Opens December 12th.

“Doubt.” Based on the play by John Patrick Shanley (who also wrote “Moonstruck”) about a stand-off between a nun and a priest and some alleged inappropriate behavior by the priest. Starring Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who I will, as I’ve said earlier, see in anything. Looks like a good one. Opens December 12th.